Stereoscopic motion-picture apparatus



July 14, 1925. 1,545,589

A. J. MACY STEREOSCOPIC MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS Filed Nov. 8, 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 14, 1925. v 1,545,589

A. J. MACY STEREOSCOPIC MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS Filed Nov. 8, 1920 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 o 7 iii ILTE IEJ July 14, 1925. 1,545,589

A. J. MACY STEREOSCOPIC MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS Filed Nov. 8, 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nuunnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn] UUUUULIUUULIUUUUUUUIJUUUULILILILIUUUHUIJUUUU UULILIUUUULIUUIJHUUULILIUUUUULIUUUUULIUUUUUUUULIUUU ULE LT E I ioneaaf Macy July 14, 1925.

A J MACY STEREOSCdPIC MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Ndv. 8, 1920 Patented July 14,1925.

mentary images of UNITED. STATES ALFRED J'. MACY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PATENT OFFKIE.

STEREOSGOIPIQ MOTION-PICTURE APPARATUS.

Application filed li ovember 8, 1920. Serial No. 422,540.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED J. MACY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Stereoscopic Motion-Picture Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a partof this specification,

This invention relates to a stereoscopic motion picture apparatus and particularly to a stereoscopic motion picture camera which is'adapted to photograph the complestereoscopic pictures through a pair of hor'zontally spaced lenses directly upon a single strip of film as it is movedtherethrough, said images being adapted for su an apparatus similar tothe taking camera, having lenses of complementary colors. ese images consequently appear on the screen in superposed relation in comp-1e mentary colors and due to the fact that the sive images is too short to be perceived by the eye, the picture on the screen will be in effect stereoscopic when viewed through colored screens which shut out one of the complementary colors from the right eye view to 'be shifted to the and the,

server.

Since it is possible to obtain stereoscopic pictures in this manner, it will be apparent that if the registration or the relative position of one of the complementary views with respect to the position of the other view of the film be changed by causing said right or to the left, the picture when projected on the screen will appear to be positioned forwardly or rearwardly thereof in accordance with the amount and direction of registration.

This invention contemplates the attainment of the above outlined result'in a superior manner and one of the objects thereof is to provide a' stereoscopic motion picture apparatus which is adapted to photograph complementary images of a stereoscopic picture alternately through a pair of horizontal lenses and directly upon a single strip of in the county at the same time bsequent projection through,

interval between the appearance of succesother from the left eye of the ob- It is another object of this invention to provide a stereoscopic motion picture apparatus wherein a vertically in rear of a pair of horizontal lenses and wherein a .shutter alternately exposes said film through one of the lenses comp-letelyshutting ofi the other lens. I

It is a further object of this invention to provide a stereoscopic motion picture apparatus which is of simple construction and an adaptation "of standard apparatus DOW In use.

It is an important object of this inventure apparatus wherein the photographing strip of film is moved of complementary images of a stereoscopic picture in a desired registration may be efiiciently and conveniently accomplished.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described. 7

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a stereoscopic, motion picture camera constructed according to the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same with the cover plate for the gears removed.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the opposite side of the camera with one of the side plates removed showing interior mechanism.

Figure'4 is an enlar ed fragmentary section on the line 44 0 Figure 2. 3

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of the strip of film.

tic'al section showing the shutter an guides.

Figure 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of I Figure 4. v

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the" line 88 of Figure 4.

.Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 99 of Figure 1.

Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 10 10 of Figure 4. v

Figure 11 is a detail of the entrance to the adjusting mechanism.

\As shown on the drawings: a

The apparatus of this invention is particularly adapted to employ many of the picture cameras standard parts of motion in use at the present time and comprises ing the period when the film is being moved in general a casing or box 1 and at one end into positio therebehind, a rotatably of said casing; 1 a pair of horizontally mounted disk shutter 26 is provided bealigned lenses 2 and 3am mounted at the tween said lenses and the frames and proper distance from each other to mainand a segment removed from said shutter tain the imagesof objects photographed provides an opening for the'admission of therethrough in proper stereoscopic rela light therethrough on the film. Said'shutter tion'. In the end of the casing 1, opposite. 26 is mounted on a shaft 27 journalled in the lenses-'2 and 3, film magazines 1 and the casing l -midway between the lenses 2 5 are provided and are adapted to receive and 3 and the other end of said shaft'is and rotatably'support reels of unexposed and journalled in a bracket 28 secured to the in exposed film respectively in a manner which side of the casing 1. .aMounted on the inner will be described hereinafter. Journalled endiof said longitudinal shaft 27 is a bevel transversely of the casing 1 in front ofthe pinion 29 which meshes with a bevel gear magazines 4 and 5 is a main drivin shaft 6, mounted on the drive shaft 6 and afl'ords and a crank 7 secured to one en of said a drive whereby the shaft 27 and the shutter driving shaft outside the casing 1' afiords 26 are rotated from said drive shaft 6; means for rotating the'same. The method Advancement of the strip of film 8 through of advancing "the film through the machine Hthe machine in properstime with the rotaand guiding'the same into position in rear tion of the shutter 26 is also effected by the of the lenses 2 and 3 will now be described. rotation of the shaft 6 and the driving Journalled in the j casing 1 beneath the means whereby-this is accomplished will drivingvshaft 6 and supported by Hearings 9 now be described. I 1 Y 10 and 11 on said shaft 6 is a'shaft-12 and Keyed on the .end of the driving shaft 6 mounted on said shaft adjacent the front outside the casing 1 is a large drivingg'ear' end of the film magazines 4 and.,5 is a .31 which meshes ,with a pinion 32 mounted toothed roller 13 which'is adapted to engage ;on a stub shaft 33 extending outwardly from apertures in a strip of film 8 which is led the casing 1 near the upper corner thereof. over the same in an outward direction from Secured on said stub shaft 33, inside the- 30 the magazine4 and under the same in an in pinion 32 and rotatable therewith, is a ring 95 ward direction'into themagazine 5. For plate 34 which has a pin projecting inholding said strip of film 8 in engagement wardly from the face thereof and said pin with the teeth on said roller 13, a pair of 35 is adapted to engage a Geneva gear 36 presser rolls 14 and 15 are provided and on keyed on the outer, end of the shaft 22 and said presser rollers are supported arms 16' to thereby rotate said -shaft .22 to i'ntermitand 17 which are mounted on the ends of tently advance the strip of film 8 into posirods 18 and 19 extending outwardly from tion behind the lenses 2 and 3at the time the side of the casing 1 both of said lenses are. closed by the shutter The strip of unexposed film 8'is led out- 26 Also mounted on said'stub shaft 33 wardly from the magazine 4 over the and outside the pinion 32'is a'gear 37 andtoothed roller 13 and fromsaid roller 13 'said'gear37 meshes with a gear 38 keyed it is conveyed downwardly in rear of the on .the end !of the shaft 12 outside the easlens 2 throu h a guiding frame 2;();and ing 1 whereby said shaJft 12and the toothed over a toothe roller'21 which is adjustably roller 13 thereon are rotated.

mounted on a transverse shaft 22 rotatably supported in hearings on a bracket 23 which is supported on the inside of the casing 1. After engaging the toothed roller; 21 the strip of film 8 is direi Up toward the rear of the lens 3 by means of a shield 24 which is clearly shown in Figures 6 and 7, and said film is subsequently led downwardly in rear of saidlens 3 through a rigidly mounted frame 25 and over a v toothed roller 26 on the shaft 22. The strip of film 8 which hasynow passed in rear of both of "the lenses 2 and 3 and portions of which'have been separately exposed'through" said lenses is led downwardly 'under the toothed roller 13 betweensaid'rollerand'the presser roller 15 into the receiving magazine 5. i

In order that light may be alternately admitted to said lenses 2 and 3 and in order that both of said lenses may be closed d1ir-.

- Said-gear 38 also provides a drive for the film reels in the magazines'4 and 5.and this drive is transmitted the g ar 38 -through idler pinions' 39,- 40, 41 aliil. 42, as clearly shown in Figure 2, to gears 43 and 44 which act to rotate the shafts 45 and 46 on which the film reels are mounted and driven through suitable friction drive mechanisms 47 and 48 i V y In order that said driving mechanism may be properly lubricated and that the foreign matter be excluded therefrom, a

cover plate 49 is provided therefor and said cover plate 49 is conveniently secured to the casing 1 by means of screws or suitable manner. v I In the'production of stereoscopic pictures it is possible to obtain an effect whereby when the imageisviewed stereoscopically in any other it appears to be in a posit'on forwardly or rea-rwardly ofthe plane 6' the actual picture. This efi'ect is tary views which comprise the picture. In

the present invention these effects are at tained and the registration is varied by shifting the film laterally in rear of one of the lenses while it is maintained in a fixed position relative to the other lens. The mechanism whereby the film is shifted to obtain this eflect will now be described. That portion of the shaft 22 on which the toothed roller 21 is mounted ,is recessed and said roller 21 is designed to be driven by said shaft and at the same time to be adjusted longitudinally "thereof by the provision of a pin 50 which extends through a slot 51 in said shaft 12.: Since the film guiding frame is provided with extensions 20 engaged against the outer ends of said toothed roller 21 and is slidable along the shaft12, said frame will be moved into adjusted position with said'roller. The recess in the outer end of. the shaft 22 is threaded and engaged therein is a screw 52, .the inner right and left ey in'Figure 10, and due to the toothed roller 21 are moved end of which engages thepin 50. is held against the inner end of the screw 52 by means of a coil spring 53 engaged in the recess in the shaft 22, as clearly shown action of said coil spring the film guide frame 20 and outwardly on the shaft 22 as far as the engagement of the screw 52 with the pin 50 will allow. 1 squared recess 54 is provided in theend of the screw 52 and affords means whereby a key may be inserted through the side of the casing 1 to rotate the screw to adjust the position of the roller 21 and the guide frame 20 on the shaft 22. Access to said squared recess 54 may be had through an opening in the side of the casing 1 which is normally covered by a sliding door 55 which is pivoted at 56, as clearly shown in Figure 11.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of a part of the strip of film 8 showin the relative arrangement of the comp e views of the stereoscopic pictures thereon, the former being represented by the-character R and the latter by L. lit will be noticed from an examination of Figure 5.. that the complementary views of each separatepicture are spaced apart a certain defi nite number of spaces on the film and this number of spaces is equal to the amount of film in the loop between the guide frames '20 and 25.

The operation is as follows:

Film upon which exposures are to be made is led outwardly from the magazine l oven the toothed roller 13 between the top of said roller and the presser roller 14 and from said roller 13 is led upwardly and engaged in the upper edge of the guide frame 20 whence it is leddownwardly in rear of the lens 2, being drawn past said lens 2 by Said pin obtained by slightly the adjustable toothed roller 21.

said roller 21'the 3, and is drawn I mg mechanism scppic pictures ementary Leaving film is turned upwardly by the shield 24: forming a half turn loo as clearly shown in Figure 7,- and the film from said loop is led downwardly through the film guide frame 25 in rear of the lens past said lens by the toothed roller 26. Exposed film leaving the roller- 26 is ledbackwardly between the roller 13 and the presser roller 15 on the underside thereofinto the receiving magazine 5, and is wound on the reel on the shaft 46 therein. The rotating shutter 26 and the film advancare all driven from the shaft 6, which is rotated by the crank 7, and the segmental opening in the shutter and the eneva gear 36 are so constructed with reference to the driving mechanism that exposures are alternately made through the lenses 2 and 3 on the film and so that both of said lenses are closed by the shutter during that part of the operation when the film is being moved into position in rear of said lenses.

The provision or" a mechanism for shifting the film laterallyin rear ofione of the lenses makes possible the varying of the registration of complementary images on the film and the consequent provision or" stereowhich may be made to appear either in front of or in rear of a reference plane or the actual plane on which the picture is projected. On account of the provision of a mechanism whereby this shifting of the film maybe manually efi'ected from the outside of the camera, it is possible to vary this efiect by changing the registration during the taking of the plcture and in this way many unique results may be obtained. On account of the improved construction employed, manystandard parts of motion picture cameras now in use may be used in the commercial adaptation of the apparatus of thisinvention. In this manner an economical construction is provided. 1

While there has been shown and describedherein an apparatus which is designed to perform the functions of a taking camera, it will be readily apparent that the same. apparatus equipped with minor modifications may be used for projecting stereoscopic pictures. V Y

I am aware that numerous details of construction may be varied through awide range without departing from the principles single stripsof past each of the two lenses.

'2. A stereoscopic motion picture apparatus comprising a pair of horizontally aligned lenses, guiding and advancing niechanls'ms adjacent each of said lenses, and means for laterally shifting one of said guiding and guiding means adjacent one 'of said lenses,

a laterally shiftableguiding means adjacent -7 the other lens, means ,for adjusting said shiftable guiding means, said guiding means being adapted to lead a past eacli of said lenses.

single strip{ of film 4, A stereoscopiciflotion picture apparatus, comprising a stereoscopic pair of lenses, guldlng means, one 1n the rear of each lens,

said two means guiding a single strip of film, each of said guiding means being properly positioned relative to its respective lens to cause the images on said film to be in stereoscopic relatlon, andJmeans operable from the exterior of the device for shifting the film iding means to change the stereo I scopic e ect produced by the images.

,, In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub-e scribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses;

' ALFRED J; MA Y.

Witnesses: A v

CARLTON ILL, 

